Young farm animals adopted as pets in Rome.

Rome residents and tourists have begun to notice a peculiar sight on the streets of the city centre in recent weeks: farm animals being walked around as pets.

Rome daily newspaper Il Messaggero has highlighted the friendship of Hansel the lamb and Dior the piglet who regularly go for walks together with their owners.

The young farm animals - both aged five months - live in their owners' apartments and are walked around town on leads.

Sara Belli, the owner of Hansel, told Il Messaggero that the lamb was saved after it fell out of a truck on its way to the slaughterhouse, while Paola Samaritani said that Dior was destined to be abandoned, before both animals were adopted as pets.

Photo Il Messaggero